diff --git a/encoder/encoder.cpp b/encoder/encoder.cpp
index a0622ed1..05fe3dd4 100644
--- a/encoder/encoder.cpp
+++ b/encoder/encoder.cpp
@@ -6,6 +6,11 @@
  */
 
 #include <cstring>
+#include <fcntl.h>
+#include <sys/ioctl.h>
+#include <sys/stat.h>
+
+#include <linux/videodev2.h>
 
 #include "encoder.hpp"
 #include "h264_encoder.hpp"
@@ -16,12 +21,34 @@
 #include "libav_encoder.hpp"
 #endif
 
-Encoder *Encoder::Create(VideoOptions const *options, const StreamInfo &info)
+Encoder *h264_codec_select(VideoOptions *options, const StreamInfo &info)
+{
+	const char hw_codec[] = "/dev/video11";
+	struct v4l2_capability caps;
+	memset(&caps, 0, sizeof(caps));
+	int fd = open(hw_codec, O_RDWR, 0);
+	if (fd)
+	{
+		int ret = ioctl(fd, VIDIOC_QUERYCAP, &caps);
+		if (!ret && !strncmp((char *)caps.card, "bcm2835-codec-encode", sizeof(caps.card)))
+			return new H264Encoder(options, info);
+	}
+
+#if LIBAV_PRESENT
+	// No hardware codec available, use x264 through libav.
+	options->libav_video_codec = "libx264";
+	return new LibAvEncoder(options, info);
+#endif
+
+	throw std::runtime_error("Unable to find an appropriate H.264 codec");
+}
+
+Encoder *Encoder::Create(VideoOptions *options, const StreamInfo &info)
 {
 	if (strcasecmp(options->codec.c_str(), "yuv420") == 0)
 		return new NullEncoder(options);
 	else if (strcasecmp(options->codec.c_str(), "h264") == 0)
-		return new H264Encoder(options, info);
+		return h264_codec_select(options, info);
 #if LIBAV_PRESENT
 	else if (strcasecmp(options->codec.c_str(), "libav") == 0)
 		return new LibAvEncoder(options, info);
diff --git a/encoder/encoder.hpp b/encoder/encoder.hpp
index 192f09c5..fda6e025 100644
--- a/encoder/encoder.hpp
+++ b/encoder/encoder.hpp
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ typedef std::function<void(void *, size_t, int64_t, bool)> OutputReadyCallback;
 class Encoder
 {
 public:
-	static Encoder *Create(VideoOptions const *options, StreamInfo const &info);
+	static Encoder *Create(VideoOptions *options, StreamInfo const &info);
 
 	Encoder(VideoOptions const *options) : options_(options) {}
 	virtual ~Encoder() {}